Make the ultimate comfort food for your family: Homemade Shepherd’s Pie (or Cottage Pie) with ground beef (or lamb!) – simple, yummy and easy to make.
A delicious filling with lots of gravy underneath a fluffy layer of mashed potatoes – perfect for a cold night, or as a special St. Patrick’s Day treat.
I always use my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes on top (but regular mashed potatoes work just fine, if you’re not an instant-potter ?). You can also use leftover mashed potatoes (those also make great Irish potato pancakes… just saying!). Simple, but so comforting!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Wine: You can skip the wine and use more broth instead. If you’re not sure which wine to use, go for a dry red wine you would also drink. A Merlot or Pinot Noir is great. (You can technically use cooking wine, it’s just not my preference – if you do use seasoned cooking wine, make sure to taste test and pay attention to the amount of salt you add.)
- Tomato paste: Can also use ketchup instead if you don’t have tomato paste.
- Mashed potatoes: I usually make my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes for this, but my regular mashed potatoes are delicious, too. I’ve also had readers made this with ready-made mashed potatoes, so that’s a great shortcut.
- Allergy friendliness: For a gluten-free friendly version, use cornstarch in place of the flour. Be sure to check all of your ingredients to make sure they’re gluten free (especially the beef broth! you can use water if you don’t have any).
- If you don’t like peas, it’s also delicious with chopped green beans.
- I hear people make this low carb by using mashed cauliflower they whisk together with 1 egg yolk in place of the mashed potatoes. I love my potatoes, but your call 😉
- You can also make this vegetarian by using 2 cups of cooked, brown lentils in place of the ground beef and vegetable broth in place of the beef broth.
Beef or lamb?
It might we worth telling you right now that the technical term for this recipe is actually cottage pie (made with ground beef) and not authentic shepherd’s pie (made with ground lamb). But my mission here on Savory Nothings is always to share recipes real people with a real grocery budget and a regular grocery store and an everyday exhausting kids/work/life situation can make.
So, there it is. Fake Shepherd’s Pie. Aka Homemade Shepherd’s Pie with ground beef. One that’s simple and affordable and delicious. It is the best ❤️
Feel free to use ground lamb in place of the beef for a more authentic version! Lamb tends to be more fatty, so drain it after browning if you prefer less fat.
Step by step photos
Recipe tips
- Don’t be scared of adding some color: Make sure to brown the meat and vegetables well for the most intense flavors
- Do not skip cooling the filling: This is how you keep the layers in shepherd’s pie from mixing; depending on the dish and the room temperature, cool it for 15-30 minutes (sometimes I put mine outside in the winter, it’s cold in 15 minutes!)
Shepherd’s Pie FAQs
Like I said above, the main difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie is the meat: Shepherd’s pie uses ground lamb, cottage pie uses ground beef. In America, the term Shepherd’s pie has commonly been adopted for the version made with ground beef.
Yes, if you keep it in the fridge, shepherd’s pie keeps well for up to 3 days. Just reheat it until piping hot all the way through and serve.
Oven: Reheat the leftovers at 350°F until piping hot all the way through (this will take 15-30 minutes, depending on how much of the pie you are reheating). If you’re re-heating leftovers, I recommend transferring them to a clean baking dish to avoid food burnt into the dish.
Microwave: Make sure you put the pie in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave in 30 second bursts until piping hot all the way through. Check the pie in between (careful, it can get hot!) and stir a little to make the food heat evenly.
Make ahead instructions
Assemble the entire pie as directed in the recipe, right up to the finally baking step. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, then bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the top is golden.
Freezer instructions
Prepare as directed in the recipe, right up to the final baking step. Wrap well with foil and then aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat: No need to defrost! Remove both foils, then replace the aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F with the foil on for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until browned.
Serving suggestions
As a casserole, this is generally an all-in-one meal I often serve pretty much by itself. Sometimes I’ll make sautéed green beans or crockpot glazed carrots on the side, especially if it’s a holiday or we have family over.
A nice green salad is also a good side. I make mine with a homemade honey mustard dressing – so good!
I LOVE Shepherd’s Pie. It’s the ultimate comfort food to me. It reminds me of working in a pub after finishing high school, it reminds me of my late British grandma, and it reminds me how much better it is to spend St. Patrick’s Day at home vs at a party, haha!
While, admittedly, this IS a bit more work than something like a one pot pasta or a throw-together casserole… It’s still fairly simple for such a hearty and traditional meal.
AND, you can always make double and freeze one for an easy meal later – freezer instructions are included in the recipe notes below. Enjoy!
More comfort food classics
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Homemade Shepherd’s Pie
Recipe details
Equipment
- Casserole Dish
Ingredients
For meat & vegetables
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots finely diced
- 2 sticks celery finely diced
For gravy/to finish filling
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons white flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup red wine OR more broth if avoiding alcohol
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped thyme
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
For topping
- 4 cups mashed potatoes (click for my recipe and you’ll have some leftovers to sneak during cooking)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Brown meat and vegetables:Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet. Brown the ground meat, then add the chopped vegetables and sauté until softened.
- Season and deglaze the pan:Sprinkle salt, paprika, pepper and flour over the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring all the time, until it smells roasted (about 1 minute). Pour in the red wine (OR beef broth if you prefer!), scratching any browned bits off the bottom.
- Finish filling and cool:Then stir in broth, herbs and peas, simmer 4-5 minutes and then let cool in a 7×11 inch baking dish.
- Prep mash:In the meantime, make your favorite mashed potatoes. You need about 4 cups of mash to top off the casserole. About 1.5 pounds of peeled potatoes should yield enough.
- Bake pie:Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the mashed potatoes over the cold filling. (Be careful not to mix up the two.) Criss-cross with a fork for a great look and crispy edges! Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until golden (I recommend baking on a lined baking sheet to catch any spills).
Notes
Beef or lamb?
Feel free to use ground lamb in place of the beef for a more authentic version! Lamb tends to be more fatty, so drain it after browning if you prefer less fat.Make ahead instructions
Assemble the entire pie as directed in the recipe, right up to the finally baking step. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, then bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the top is golden.Freezer instructions
Prepare as directed in the recipe, right up to the final baking step. Wrap well with foil and then aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat: No need to defrost! Remove both foils, then replace the aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F with the foil on for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until browned.Cooking tips
- Make sure to brown the meat and vegetables well for the most intense flavors
- Don’t skip cooling the filling. A cool filling is much easier to top with mashed potatoes without mixing the layers.
Ingredient notes
Mashed potatoes: I usually make my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes for this, but my regular mashed potatoes are delicious, too. I’ve also had readers made this with ready-made mashed potatoes, so that’s a great shortcut. Tomato paste: Can also use ketchup instead if you don’t have tomato paste. Gluten free: For a gluten-free friendly version, use cornstarch in place of the flour. Be sure to check all of your ingredients to make sure they’re gluten free (especially the beef broth! you can use water if you don’t have any). If you don’t like peas, it’s also delicious with chopped green beans. I hear people make this low carb by using mashed cauliflower they whisk together with 1 egg yolk in place of the mashed potatoes. I love my potatoes, but your call 😉 You can also make this vegetarian by using 2 cups of cooked, brown lentils in place of the ground beef and vegetable broth in place of the beef broth.Nutrition
More recipe information
And in case you’re here for St. Patrick’s Day…
More Irish inspired recipes
I first published this recipe in 2017. I republished it on 06/04/2020 to make it better for you.
Brenda says
Delish! Yes, you can substitute lentils for ground beef if you’re vegetarian but you also would want to use vegetable broth. It’s quite yummy with the lentils. This is a very homey, comforting meal!
Carol Lee says
I used 1/2 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of ground pork. I sautéed sliced mushrooms in addition to the carrots, celery, and onions. Otherwise, I followed the recipe pretty closely, however it was very juicy and didn’t hold together when I served it. The flavor was very good.
Nora says
If you want to hold it together, it really needs to sit on the counter and cool a little before serving. Otherwise yes – it’s a bit sloppy. But that’s kind of the point 😉 Glad you otherwise enjoyed it, Carol!
Tracy B says
I just made this with ground brisket and tweaked the ingredients. (I only had chicken broth , sweet red wine and no paste/used ketchup) it was so good!!!
Sabrina says
Delicious!!! I prepped it night before all the way up to baking. Refrigerated overnight for a quick weeknight dinner. The flavors are rich. I topped the mashed potatoes (made my homemade mashed potatoes ) not only with cheese but also a little French fried onions. Was a hit with whole family. Everyone had seconds.
Shawna says
I can’t remember if I’ve already left a review 😆. But this recipe is good enough to leave another 5 stars so I’m gonna. This really is delicious. It’s my go-to meal to deliver to families. It’s simple to make dairy free and or gluten free. I love the gravy. I do add a tablespoon or Worcestershire sauce because I think it’s a delicious addition but otherwise I follow the recipe to a T.
Roxanne Heimann says
So delish! I took out the tomato paste and subbed ketchup (just because that’s what I had!). also used frozen mixed veggies instead of fresh. So good, even better as leftovers
Phyllis Byrne says
I have used this recipe several times and it always turns out so delicious.
APRIL says
Have you ever used ground turkey? Just wondering if I would need to alter the seasonings.
Nora says
April, I haven’t. If you want to make a good old fashioned shepherd’s pie, just using ground turkey instead of beef, I don’t think you’d have to alter the seasoning. BUT ground turkey tends to release a lot more juices vs ground beef, so you may need to cook the filling a little longer to make sure it’s not too runny.
Freya Petersen says
I have read your recipe and it made it but and it’s not bad. but I must say if you go and read in any food dictionary it is actually cottage pie. I did read your notes where it said that you can exchange lamb in place at the beef but they’re truly is two different names for the recipe shepherd’s pie is made with lamb and only lamb. cottage pie is made with beef and some people put beef and pork so to be very authentic to your readers to just call it cottage pie sorry
Nora says
I have answered this question so many times now… This IS authentic Shepherd’s Pie in the US. There’s not a lot of lamb consumption. We just call the beef version Shepherd’s Pie because that’s what our grandmas called it. I’m being authentic to my actual readers here, because most of them are in the US. I do have some British family connections, and they’d probably throw mashed potatoes at me for this, but like you said… I’m just being authentic for my readers.
Pat says
Nora great recipe. My mum from Dublin always made this. I did add few squirts of A-1 sauce to “ beef “ flavor up. And used Bovril n water for the beef stock My adult kids loved this as well I used ground beef not lamb though. Seasonings were point on ! Great memories💚
Nora says
What a lovely comment, Pat. So glad you liked the recipe! And thanks for your tips, appreciate it.
Jeanne says
Nora, if we make it with ground lamb, does that change the spices or anything else about the recipe? Technically, when you use beef it’s considered cottage pie!
Nora says
Jeanne, yes, it would technically be called „Cottage Pie“ with beef. But in the US, it’s commonly known as Shepherd‘s Pie with either meat, so that’s why I don’t make the distinction in the recipe title. I use the same recipe, same spices, when I make it with ground lamb. Hope this helps!
Susan Barnett says
Nicest shepherds pie I’ve tasted
Nora says
I’m so glad, Susan!
Louise Chain says
Delicious. Made mine with lamb mince
Nora says
Glad you liked the recipe, Louise!
Deanna says
I’ve tried a couple recipes for this dish and I kept returning to this one! I quit looking at other recipes and only make this one. I make a huge batch. One big pan for our family, one big pan for a friend’s family who need a hand and a small pan for the freezer.
Nora says
What an honor for my humble recipe, Deanna! I’m glad it’s serving you so well.
kristy says
AMAZING! This is my St Paddy’s Day go-to for sure, but make it every month or so as well. My family LOVES it! Wish I was faster at chopping the vegetables though!! Thanks for making me look Irish to my Irish husband!
Luc says
I use frozen mixed vegetables, which prevents me from chopping them. I quadruple the recipe and bake it in a foil lasagna pan. I freeze the rest in two portions. I’ve been making this exact recipe for years and we all love it!
Nora says
Thank you so much for sharing your tips, Luc! And I’m glad the recipe has been serving you so well.